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Aerial.America.S07E05.Roadside.Attractions
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00:00To truly understand America, you need to hit the road and see it for yourself. For generations,
00:12Americans have done just that. Move forward. Don't look back. Feel the wind in your hair.
00:19Who knows what you'll find along the way? Ever since the first covered wagon struck
00:27out for the West, this shapely nation has captivated us. Its roads lead to some of
00:33the most majestic marvels in the world. Sweeping vistas and looming landscapes
00:40call us forward. But road trips are about more than just the destination.
00:46The greatest journeys celebrate the places in between. The unplanned stops. Keep your
00:57eyes peeled and you'll find countless roadside attractions. Larger-than-life stories, tragic
01:04tales, and effervescent roadside convenience tempting you to pull over. It's there, hidden
01:12between the rows of corn or breaking up mile upon mile of lonely desert, that you'll find
01:18the essence of America. So hit the road and trust in the rewards of what lies ahead.
01:25One thing is for sure, the American roadside has attractions for all.
02:12Just west of Amarillo, Texas, is a dusty field interrupted by the smell of spray paint and
02:19one of America's most unusual roadside curiosities. Ten cars stand with their brake lights pointing
02:27to the sky. This is Cadillac Ranch, one of the most popular stops for drivers crossing
02:34the Texas Panhandle. It was built in 1974 as a quirky memorial to the tail fin. During the
02:431950s and 60s, fins were a popular presence on American cars. The ranch celebrates Cadillac's
02:50eye-catching stylings, but the fins themselves can be hard to pick out amongst an explosion of
02:56color. When the Caddy's were first planted here, they sported their original paint jobs. Today,
03:03they change color from one day to the next. Visitors are allowed to get creative, but if
03:12you paint a masterpiece here, snap a picture. It won't be long before someone else covers it up.
03:23Today, cars flying by on nearby Interstate 40 no longer sport tail fins, and many drivers don't
03:30realize they're getting their kicks on what used to be Route 66. Like the shifting colors
03:39of Cadillac Ranch, America's roads never stop evolving. We take our highways for granted,
03:47but the way we get around and the places we go have changed faster than you might realize.
04:01Along a lonely hillside in remote western Nebraska, you'll struggle to pick out the
04:07remains of one of America's great highways. But from above, if you look in just the right
04:15places, discreet etchings emerge in the landscape below. These narrow ruts were once a part of the
04:25Oregon Trail, but Route 66 of its day. Walking, pulling carts, or riding in covered wagons,
04:32nearly half a million pioneers traveled west, carving ruts so deep they're still visible almost
04:39200 years later. For travelers on the Oregon Trail, there were no spray-painted Cadillacs
04:47to break up a long day. In this early era of the road trip, it was the natural wonders that served
04:56as the roadside attractions. All along the trail, pioneers discovered stunning landmarks, tagging
05:07them with iconic names like Courthouse Rock, Independence Rock, and Soda Springs. More than
05:17just pretty sights to look at, they served as the mile markers of their day. Along the entire trail,
05:26no attraction was more popular than this otherworldly spire, known to settlers as Chimney
05:33Rock. Piercing the air at 425 feet above the Nebraska Prairie, pioneers could spot it from
05:41three days away. Thousands climbed up its slopes to carve their initials into the soft rock. For
05:51pioneers who had not yet discovered the immense landscapes of the American West, Chimney Rock
05:57left a formidable impression. If man does not feel like an insect here, then I don't know when he
06:05should, wrote one of the many settlers who camped in the surrounding prairie. Less than 200 years
06:17later, drivers speed by on nearby Interstate 80 under a modern-day Nebraska landmark. The
06:25Great Platte River Road Archway is a monument and a museum dedicated to the men and women
06:31who had to hoof it past Chimney Rock. Spanning 308 feet across the interstate, it's a striking
06:40juxtaposition and a reminder of just how far we've traveled since the early days of going
06:46west. Traveling the Oregon Trail's 2,000 miles could take half a year. Today, you could drive
06:56it in a matter of days. From country lanes to superhighways, more than four million miles of
07:03road speed our travels. 250 million cars take us wherever we want to go. Automobiles have so
07:14dramatically changed our landscape, it can be hard to imagine what the world looked like just a
07:20century ago. In the western suburbs of Detroit, one of America's most unusual theme parks offers
07:31the chance to roll back time. Instead of roller coasters, you can ride through lazy streets in
07:38a vintage Model T. Rather than play in an arcade, you can visit Thomas Edison's invention factory.
07:47This 80-acre time machine is called Greenfield Village. It's an attraction bankrolled by Henry
07:54Ford himself. Ford realized better than anyone that the automobile was transforming America.
08:01He began collecting historic buildings and artifacts, preserving them all next to one
08:07of his factories and opening it to the public in 1933. The highlight of any visit is the chance
08:15to ride in Ford's own invention and imagine yourself on an early automobile adventure.
08:20But don't get deceived by Greenfield's smooth paved streets. When the first car set out on
08:28road trips, there were less than 150 miles of pavement in the entire country. Roads were bad,
08:38maps were awful, gas stations and tow trucks didn't exist yet. For a restless nation rattling
08:51along country roads, this dusty piece of asphalt was a very welcome sight. It may not look
08:58like much, but this is a vintage piece of Route 66, a narrow band of pavement that's
09:05become the most legendary road in America. Starting in Chicago and passing through St.
09:13Louis, its smooth, flat surface eventually stretched all the way to Los Angeles. Commissioned
09:21in 1926, it was just one artery in America's first highway system. 66 was not America's
09:29first or even its longest highway. It captured America's heart because it was the shortest
09:37all-season road between the Midwest and California. Today, its sun-kissed path is a destination
09:46for modern travelers looking for a ride in the treads of American history. This iconic
09:54bridge opened in 1933, just in time to ferry Dust Bowl refugees to California. Here, at
10:05Albuquerque's Central Avenue, you can see how 66 earned itself the nickname America's
10:11Main Street. The historic route ran straight through the middle of many towns. Businesses
10:18sprouted all along its path, catering to motorized customers with big signs, swimming pools and
10:25even vibrating beds. In an era of mom-and-pop conveniences, even gas stations became popular
10:34institutions. Lucille Hammons ran this Oklahoma pit stop for more than 60 years, earning herself
10:41the nickname Mother of the Mother Road. Today, vintage stops like Missouri's Chain of Rocks
10:55Bridge draw tourists on a treasure hunt for classic Americana. But just like these rusted
11:02girders, Route 66 and its mom-and-pops have been swept to the side, bypassed by faster,
11:09more efficient roads. Beginning in 1956, five separate interstates gradually replaced its
11:18twists and turns. The Mother Road was officially decommissioned in 1985. It may no longer be
11:26an officially recognized highway, but 66 lives on, and new businesses along its path provide
11:41plenty of supersized reasons to pull over. Pops Gas Station opened in 2007, offering
11:49more than just juice for your car. Inside, they serve 600 different flavors of soda pop.
11:58Along the road, a giant bottle named Bubbly stands at a symbolic 66 feet high. Bubbly's
12:05larger-than-life size is an age-old advertising trick, one that's tempted passing motorists
12:11since long before the selfie.
12:19Way back in 1937, a small tourist town in Minnesota was seeing fewer and fewer travelers.
12:28Local officials in Bemidji knew they needed a one-of-a-kind attraction to bring in business.
12:34They hit upon a simple rule of roadside advertising, bigger is better. In 1937, they unveiled two
12:42giant statues marking the fictional birthplace of a legendary local lumberjack. 18-foot-tall
12:52Paul Bunyan and his companion, Babe the Blue Ox, became overnight sensations, even winning
12:59a full-page spread in Life magazine. Tourists still detour from miles around to see these
13:06larger-than-life characters and spend their money in Bemidji's businesses.
13:15Bemidji's not alone. Hit the road and you'll be amazed by all the extra-large attractions
13:20competing for a spot in your photo album.
13:26This 120-foot-tall colossus is an exact replica of Babe Ruth's bat, and it wants to make sure
13:32you stop at the Louisville Slugger Museum. Passing through Tulsa, you should be aware
13:38that in Oklahoma, drilling is big. Not planning to overnight in Atlantic City, New Jersey?
13:45Lucy the Elephant is six stories tall, and she wants you to know that you're missing
13:50out.
13:53All across the map, there's no end to America's you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it attractions.
13:58From the world's largest ball of twine, to the world's largest office chair, or a shoe
14:09as big as an entire house.
14:17But when it comes to luring passing motorists, there's a larger-than-life spot that towers
14:22above all the others. It's become such an important American icon, most visitors don't
14:29realize it got its start as textbook roadside advertising.
14:35Back in the 1920s, South Dakota's Black Hills had few roads and fewer tourists.
14:44State historian Doan Robinson wanted to draw more travelers to this remote region, and
14:50he thought the spectacular scenery wouldn't be enough.
14:54To put itself on the map, South Dakota needed to build a one-of-a-kind attraction.
15:01Robinson found a sculptor named Gutzon Borglum and brought him here to the now-famous Needles
15:07at Custer State Park.
15:10Why not carve these granite spires into a towering attraction?
15:15He also brought along sculptures of heroes of the American West, folks like Lewis and Clark and Buffalo Bill.
15:23Borglum wasn't convinced, but he soon found another location, a giant granite canvas so
15:29majestic that he felt it would be wasted on heroes of the West.
15:37Despite opposition from Native Americans and environmentalists, in 1927 Borglum began blasting
15:43the lines for a vast sculpture.
15:48He chose four presidents as symbols of the nation's first 150 years.
15:56Washington represents its founding, Jefferson reflects its expansion with the Louisiana
16:02Purchase, Lincoln depicts its preservation through the Civil War, and Roosevelt symbolizes
16:09America's emergence as a world power.
16:12Together, they draw almost three million visitors each year and have become one of America's
16:19most iconic roadside attractions.
16:31Mount Rushmore isn't the only spot where we've been busy carving history into stone.
16:38In Georgia, the number one tourist destination is Stone Mountain, a controversial monument
16:44to Confederate heroes that got its start four years before Mount Rushmore.
16:51A far larger carving of Native American hero Crazy Horse is in progress in South Dakota.
16:58Begun in 1948, so far only the face has been completed.
17:04The full carving will show him sitting on a horse, his outstretched arm pointing to
17:08the lands taken from his tribe.
17:12It's such an ambitious project that, when finished, it will be the biggest sculpture
17:17in the entire world.
17:24But the rock that looms largest in American history lies far away, on the shores of Massachusetts.
17:32In 1620, a famous ship, the Mayflower, rounded Cape Cod packed with weary pilgrims.
17:42The crew eventually dropped anchor in Plymouth Harbor and set up camp as best they could.
17:50For travelers passing through Massachusetts, a stop in Plymouth is an exciting chance to
17:55experience how the pilgrims lived.
17:59And finally see the spot where the pilgrims landed, a rock that holds a giant place in
18:05American history.
18:07Today, many eager tourists are astonished to discover a landmark that is much smaller
18:13than they were expecting.
18:16Plymouth Rock's tiny size has led more than one visitor to nickname it the Plymouth Pebble.
18:23To be fair, it was once much bigger. But when word spread of the rock's famous past, early
18:30tourists brought their chisels.
18:32Today, Plymouth Rock is scattered across the country, in museums and private homes.
18:40No one knows for sure if this is the actual spot the pilgrims pulled up to. They themselves
18:46never mention any rocks in their writings.
18:49But the rock symbolizes something greater, the willingness to risk it all in pursuit
18:55of freedom and a better life.
19:00Visitors can get a better sense of that incredible journey at this almost perfect replica of
19:04the Mayflower.
19:07Built in England in 1957, it was sailed here by a daring crew, following the path of the
19:14original voyage.
19:21Just like the pilgrims, today we still hit the road in search of freedom, adventure,
19:27and opportunity.
19:29Along the way, we cross paths with those who came before us, discovering for ourselves
19:35the struggles and the accomplishments that shaped this nation.
19:40From the Native Americans who built America's first cities, to the brothers who dared to
19:49challenge gravity, road trips are a chance to pull over and discover the stories that
19:59make us who we are.
20:11In southern Pennsylvania lies arguably the most important American history that you can
20:15drive a car through.
20:18These fields, near the town of Gettysburg, are known to every American as the turning
20:23point of the Civil War, and one of the most important moments in our nation's history.
20:29In June 1863, General Robert E. Lee led his troops north, challenging the Union Army on
20:36its own turf.
20:39Over the course of three long days, two great armies collided here.
20:45From the rocky outlook, where artillery once fired, you can begin to comprehend the scale
20:50of this immense battle.
20:52Walking the field where soldiers massed for Pickett's Charge, visitors can imagine the
20:57terror of battle.
21:01One hundred fifty thousand men marched into Gettysburg, a third of them would lose their
21:06lives here.
21:09Today, we take for granted the united status of America's states.
21:15The memorials that litter these fields are a solemn reminder of what it cost to keep
21:19North and South together.
21:26Four months after the battle, Abraham Lincoln personally dedicated Gettysburg Cemetery,
21:32praising the men who sacrificed everything for the words, one nation indivisible.
21:39That eulogy would go down in history as the Gettysburg Address, one of the most celebrated
21:45speeches in the history of the United States.
21:52Gettysburg set the stage for a fundamental shift in the course of Southern history.
21:59From the cotton fields of Mississippi to the streets of Selma, Alabama, that complicated
22:04past is a fascinating part of any road trip through the South.
22:11On the gulf shores of Mississippi, near the city of Biloxi, lies a unique attraction where
22:21one man found the space to reflect on it all.
22:26This is the Beauvoir Estate, the final home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
22:34At the end of the Civil War, Davis was captured by Union troops, but released after just two
22:40years.
22:42He eventually retired here, to this tranquil estate, and wrote his memoir.
22:48Today, Beauvoir is a museum dedicated to a lost cause and a lost country.
22:56And behind it, under construction, is the only presidential library not built for a
23:00President of the USA, a reminder of the fascinating, sometimes complicated detours of American
23:08history.
23:14On the road with a full tank of gas, it's music that fuels our road trip tradition.
23:20From Life is a Highway to Hit the Road Jack, you'll find countless road trip songs reminding
23:25you that you're born to run.
23:28For fans of a good tune, a road trip is about having the perfect playlist.
23:33But it's also a chance to cruise through music history, connecting with the people and places
23:39behind the tunes that we love.
23:44You can absorb creative genius in the childhood homes of legends like Bill Monroe, the father
23:49of bluegrass.
23:52Go behind the scenes at the Detroit studio that churned out Motown stars like the Jackson
23:57Five, or pull over at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
24:04No matter what direction you choose, our map is full of places where you can connect with
24:09great music.
24:13But there's no landscape that rewards a music road trip quite as soulfully as the floodplains
24:19of the Mississippi Delta.
24:22Exploring the back roads where blues music was born, it's not hard to imagine young legends
24:28like Muddy Waters or B.B. King stumbling through their first guitar riffs.
24:35The centerpiece of any music tour is America's Blues Highway, which traces Route 61 from
24:42Memphis as far south as New Orleans.
24:48Along that route, Clarksdale, Mississippi is the unmissable destination.
24:55Here, ramshackle juke joints provide a musical experience you can't get anywhere else.
25:02Step inside for an authentic taste of the crooning that once was sidelined as devil's
25:08music.
25:10Or visit the Delta Blues Museum and learn how it developed into the very bedrock of
25:15American music.
25:22The town's newest club opened in 2001, but it's managed to capture the spirit of Clarksdale's
25:27dilapidated melancholy.
25:32Ground Zero is co-owned by local resident and Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman.
25:40It's one of the most celebrated blues clubs in America, showcasing the best new artists
25:45and their vibrant, continuing tradition.
25:54You don't have to listen to the blues to appreciate Mississippi's unique contribution to American
25:59music.
26:01Its influence reverberates through all kinds of tunes.
26:06Part of that is thanks to a young kid born right here in Tupelo, Mississippi, a town
26:13where even the hardware store has played a big part in music history.
26:18Here, in 1946, a young woman named Gladys Presley brought her 11-year-old son Elvis
26:26to buy a birthday present.
26:30Young Elvis actually wanted a rifle, but he eventually accepted a safer option, a guitar
26:36costing $7.75.
26:42That guitar would gain him a royal spot in rock and roll history and turn Tupelo into
26:49a major tourist destination.
26:52Today, thousands flock here to see the place where the king was born and learn just how
26:59tough life was for the Presley family.
27:04Moments of joy and promise of a better life resonated from this church.
27:09It's where Elvis was first exposed to gospel music, which he would later mix with blues
27:14and rockabilly, creating songs that left America all shook up.
27:28Not all roadside attractions offer a museum and manicured grounds.
27:33Sometimes, places where there's almost nothing to see still draw fans for miles.
27:40In northern Iowa, at a quiet intersection, stands an oversized pair of horn-rimmed glasses,
27:47a modest homage to rock and roll legend Buddy Holly.
27:53They mark a muddy trail that takes you deep into a private cornfield, to the spot of one
27:59of rock and roll's most infamous tragedies, a plane crash that's been written into history
28:06as the day the music died.
28:11That fateful day began in nearby Clear Lake, Iowa, a town that might as well be remembered
28:16as the last place the music lived.
28:20Today, the Surf Ballroom keeps its doors open so music fans can imagine February 2, 1959,
28:29the last gate for three of rock and roll's earliest stars.
28:34Rock legend Buddy Holly headlined, with hits like Peggy Sue and That'll Be the Day.
28:41Seventeen-year-old Richie Valens electrified the crowd with La Bamba.
28:47And the big bopper powered through with his own hit, Chantilly Lace.
28:53But it's what happened after their guitars were packed that put the Surf Ballroom in the headlines.
29:02Instead of hopping back on their tour bus, Buddy Holly convinced his co-stars to fly
29:07to the next gig.
29:10Unaware of an approaching winter storm, their pilot lifted off at 12.55 a.m.
29:18It was a turbulent flight that ended just five miles north of town, turning this Iowa
29:25cornfield into an unexpected spot for rock and roll pilgrimage.
29:34A tiny memorial carries the weight of that day, letting visitors feel for themselves
29:39the power of this tragic place.
29:47Fans looking to pay tribute to Buddy Holly don't have to go to Iowa.
29:53He's got a star that you can visit on a famous boulevard in Los Angeles.
30:00Whether you're looking for Frank Sinatra, Steven Spielberg, or Katy Perry, a stroll
30:06down the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a star-studded scavenger hunt.
30:12More than 2,500 celebrities have been inducted here, including Mickey Mouse and even Donald
30:18Trump.
30:21On average, two new stars are unveiled each month.
30:25Ceremonies are open to the public, creating exciting opportunities to see your favorite
30:30celebrities in person.
30:39A highlight of the boulevard is the TCL Chinese Theater, the site of many Hollywood premieres.
30:47For decades, actors have left their handprints, footprints, and signatures in wet cement around
30:53this courtyard.
30:55Today, throngs of visitors come here, eager to see the results.
31:06Exploring the boulevard or scouting celebrity mansions, a trip to Los Angeles is an exciting
31:13taste of Hollywood's glitz and glamour and a chance to step inside one of America's
31:21dream factories.
31:25Paramount Pictures welcomes visitors for behind-the-scenes tours of the longest-running studio in Hollywood.
31:33Classic scenes from films like Citizen Kane, The Godfather, and Forrest Gump were all filmed
31:39right here.
31:42Out back, you'll discover a staggering five acres of streets built to look like New York
31:48and Chicago.
31:52It's just a small taste of what it takes to create movie magic and a unique glimpse into
31:57the birthplace of some great American films.
32:02When it comes to road trips, California's biggest star is the Pacific Coast Highway.
32:18Stretching 500 miles along this rugged coast, it's one of the most famous drives in the
32:23entire country and a stunning way to travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
32:30This section near Big Sur is one of the most spectacular parts of the entire route, teeming
32:36with photo-worthy stops like Bixby Bridge, one of the tallest single-arch spans in the
32:43world.
32:44No matter where you pull over, tracing this rugged edge of the nation is a breathtaking
32:50drive.
32:57Along the way, California serves up plenty of spectacular detours, including a famous
33:04valley that's transformed American wine and created a tasty new reason to wander country
33:10roads.
33:14Wine-making in Napa Valley dates way back to early pioneers, but it wasn't until 1976
33:21that these American grapes really made it big.
33:26That year, at a blind wine-tasting competition in Paris, a Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena
33:35won top honors, beating out its French rivals.
33:40The world was shocked.
33:42The French judges were disgusted with themselves.
33:46And Napa earned itself a place on the map.
33:50Today, more than 400 wineries have transformed this valley into a world-class wine-tasting
33:58destination, and a great place to explore with the top down.
34:13Cruising through the vast expanses of the Midwest is a chance to feel the proud beat
34:20of America's heartland, exploring small towns, and discovering the majestic open spaces that
34:34feed the nation.
34:37For some, this endless land of silos and heavy machinery all blends together into the flyover
34:43states, a region best viewed from the air.
34:51But skip a road trip through America's breadbasket, and you'll miss some one-of-a-kind attractions,
34:59like this spectacular roadside gem, rising out of the Nebraska plains.
35:05It's a tribute to an ancient English monument, Stonehenge.
35:12But this uniquely crafted version is called Carhenge, and it's made from the welded bodies
35:18of Chevys, painted stone gray.
35:24It's not just a wacky celebration of the automobile.
35:28Local resident Jim Rinders designed it after living in England, where he'd carefully studied
35:32Stonehenge.
35:35With the help of 35 family members, he managed to match the layout of the original, even
35:41burying the cars along the same compass points.
35:46Local officials initially tried to get Carhenge registered as a junkyard, but the town has
35:52come to appreciate its quirky spot in America's road trip landscape.
36:03Traveling through the Midwest, the flow of endless green can lead to a mesmerizing realization.
36:12In America, corn is most definitely king.
36:19The United States produces one-third of all the corn in the world, a fact that's celebrated
36:26each year by the proud farming town of Mitchell.
36:32Since 1892, the center of this South Dakota community has been a royal palace, dedicated
36:38to the king of crops.
36:42Initially built for a festival, today its onion domes and minarets are a popular stop
36:48for over half a million road trips each year.
36:52The elaborate murals are created using 13 different colors of corn.
36:59Every fall, a new design is nailed into place, ear by ear.
37:05But Mitchell isn't the only spot getting creative with its food.
37:11With so much grain growing around here, it's not hard to justify chopping some crops for
37:16the sake of fun.
37:19On a family farm in northern Illinois, tall green stalks are transformed into a spectacular
37:25work of art, and one of the largest mazes in the world.
37:31Each year, the Richardson family carves a new design into this field.
37:37This one celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' first album.
37:42To create this elaborate canvas, the corn is seeded evenly throughout the field instead
37:47of in rows.
37:49The Richardsons hire an artist to create the intricate design on a computer.
37:55And when the corn is 12 inches tall, a special tractor armed with GPS carves the elaborate
38:00pathways.
38:03By September, the maze is ready for the public, providing a great excuse to get lost and enjoy
38:09the special charm of the Corn Belt.
38:16If you're looking for a spot to rise up above the stalks, St. Louis, Missouri has you more
38:22than covered.
38:25Completed in 1965, the Gateway Arch is America's tallest memorial, and the tallest arch in
38:31the entire world.
38:34Rising 630 feet into the air, it's more than double the height of the Statue of Liberty.
38:41With futuristic transportation pods, funnel visitors straight up the archway's curved
38:46legs, taking a full four minutes to reach the observation deck at the top.
38:56The arch is so large, it can welcome 160 people at a time for spectacular views of the Mississippi
39:02River and the St. Louis skyline.
39:07It's a stunning monument, built to recognize St. Louis' role as the gateway west for countless
39:13settlers and their families.
39:21But it was the daring and greed of adventurers and fortune seekers that opened the wildest
39:26corners of the west.
39:29In 1877, an adventurous prospector named Ed Schifflin arrived in the dangerous, rocky
39:36hills of southern Arizona.
39:39Hoping to strike it rich, for months he stole into these canyons, dodging Apache war parties.
39:47Locals warned Schifflin the only stone he'd ever find here would be his own tombstone.
39:55They were wrong.
40:00The silver in these hills would make Schifflin a millionaire and turn Tombstone into the
40:06name of an unruly boomtown.
40:10With over a hundred saloons and countless houses of ill repute, these streets catered
40:15to a mean crowd.
40:18Greed, guns, and alcohol gave Tombstone a grisly reputation to match its name.
40:26Each day, performers recreate one of the town's most legendary shootouts, a dispute that quickly
40:33spiraled out of control, erupting into a hail of bullets remembered today as the gunfight
40:40at the O.K. Corral.
40:44By the time the smoke cleared, 30 rounds had been fired, three outlaws were dead, and two
40:52of the West's most legendary gunslingers, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, were on their
40:57way to worldwide fame.
41:02The Wild West lives on in towns like Tombstone.
41:09But in this stunning region, silver and gold are no longer a main attraction.
41:16Modern adventurers are drawn by a different kind of treasure, the most jaw-dropping natural
41:23wonders that you can drive a car through.
41:26From the oversized splendor of the Grand Canyon to the gravity-defying stones at Arches National
41:35Park, many spend months traveling this incredible region.
41:43There are so many spellbinding attractions here that it's easy to miss some of the most
41:49otherworldly sights, like this seemingly inexplicable structure standing all by itself in the flat
41:57Arizona desert.
42:00Nearly a mile across and over 500 feet deep, for the longest time it was assumed to be
42:06a volcanic crater.
42:10It wasn't until the 1960s that it was confirmed to have a more celestial, yet just as explosive
42:16origin.
42:1950,000 years ago, as woolly mammoths and giant ground sloths wandered these lands, a massive
42:25asteroid collided here.
42:29The impact energy was about 10 megatons, equivalent to more than 20 million tons of TNT.
42:38Named simply Meteor Crater, it's the first geologic scar ever confirmed to have been
42:44created by a collision from outer space.
42:49Hundreds of other craters have been identified since, but Arizona's remains one of the most
42:55spectacular.
43:09For fans of the two-wheeler, there's no song quite as sweet as the thunder of a Harley
43:14Davidson's V-twin engine.
43:20Cruising the open roads on these powerful machines is a tradition dating back to 1903,
43:27the year two pals from Wisconsin decided to mount an engine on a bicycle and jump-started
43:33Harley Davidson.
43:35One of the most iconic three-wheeling brands that's ever graced the American road.
43:46For motorcycle owners, one of the greatest excuses to hop in the saddle is this normally
43:52sleepy South Dakota town.
43:56Every summer since 1938, the streets of Sturgis transform into a massive road trip attraction
44:03for motorcycle enthusiasts.
44:06In 2015, one million visitors thundered in.
44:12Whether you're here to show off your custom ride or just gawk at all the chrome, Sturgis
44:17welcomes everyone for a roaring good time.
44:22With concert stages, massive campgrounds, thousands of RV hookups, and endless motorcycle-friendly
44:31places to party, like the Broken Spoke Saloon, a biker bar designed so that you can ride
44:38right in the front door, then grab a martini, buy some lingerie, or get a tattoo.
44:48But the real highlight of any trip to Sturgis is a chance to explore some of the most unique
44:53landscapes in the American West.
44:57In neighboring Wyoming, out of a sea of ponderosa pines, rises Devil's Tower National Monument.
45:07This pillar of ancient lava is so unique, even geologists can't agree on exactly how
45:13it was formed.
45:16Its spectacular sight led Teddy Roosevelt to designate it as America's first-ever National
45:22Monument in 1906, two years before the Grand Canyon.
45:30Today, it welcomes 400,000 visitors a year.
45:36More than a few are drawn to this tower by its association with extraterrestrials and UFOs.
45:43In fact, Devil's Tower's most famous visitor is an alien spaceship that landed on the summit
45:49in the grand finale of the sci-fi blockbuster Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
45:55Key scenes from Steven Spielberg's epic feature were filmed right here, cementing Devil's
46:01Tower as a magnet for our quirky obsession with UFOs.
46:14But America's fascination with little green men didn't begin at a site as striking and
46:19otherworldly.
46:20In 1947, a ranch hand in central New Mexico discovered some bizarre debris in a sheep
46:26pasture.
46:28The mysterious wreckage was quickly whisked out of view to a military base in a town famous
46:34today as Roswell.
46:39Here, in Hangar 84, it's rumored that alien bodies and UFO wreckage were stored.
46:51Those rumors have transformed sleepy Roswell into a popular road trip detour.
46:57And it's not just a destination for serious ufologists.
47:01The town has fun with its history of extraterrestrials, hosting alien costume parties and tongue-in-cheek
47:08UFO festivals.
47:13The main attraction is Roswell's International UFO Museum, offering clues sometimes kooky
47:20and sometimes intriguing regarding everything from alien abductions to crop circles and
47:25Area 51.
47:33For those more fascinated by what's out there than what's landed here, New Mexico has another
47:38card up its sleeve.
47:43A high-tech radio observatory that's surprisingly accessible for something so sophisticated.
47:52This is known as the Very Large Array, and it's open for free tours seven days a week.
48:01Positioned in a Y-shaped configuration, these 27 dishes all work together as a single telescope.
48:11If you pause and watch, you'll see them rotate and move in a delicate dance, traveling down
48:17specially built tracks to refocus on a new object up above.
48:24That kind of teamwork allows them to see much farther, studying black holes, the birth of
48:29stars, and the outer reaches of the Milky Way.
48:36It all provides us with intriguing clues about what's out there, and helps astronomers build
48:44a map of the vast expanses of space.
48:49A map that may one day be useful for future road trips.
48:59Down this simmaculate road, about an hour from the nearest town, lies one of America's
49:04most visionary attractions.
49:07Spaceport America is the first facility in the world built to host commercial space travel.
49:14Visionary companies like Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and Elon Musk's SpaceX operate
49:20out of this facility.
49:22Both are working hard to revolutionize travel, and one day take private passengers into space.
49:31If you find yourself all the way out here, visitors are welcome.
49:36You can tour the facility, ride a G-Shock simulator, and cruise down the 12,000-foot
49:42runway.
49:44A runway that may one day take us to the depths of space, or it may end up being just another
49:52detour.
49:55Only time will tell.
49:58But it does beg the question, where will we go next?
50:04What roadside attractions will call us forward a hundred years from now?
50:13Since the very beginning of America, each generation has taken to the open road, crossing
50:18paths with those who came before, and creating new roads for those that follow.
50:26Whatever road we choose, the journey ultimately leads inward, to a better sense of where we're
50:32from and where we're going.
50:36The important thing is to get out, to press forward and discover the attractions of the
50:43open road.
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